


Moving On

by SugdenLovesDingle



Series: 7 days of Robron [2]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Misunderstandings, Robron endgame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-11
Updated: 2017-07-11
Packaged: 2018-12-01 00:25:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11474751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SugdenLovesDingle/pseuds/SugdenLovesDingle
Summary: 7 Days of Robron Day 2: Robron + angst + “I won’t let you”





	Moving On

**Author's Note:**

> I’m the worst angst writer on the planet so this isn’t very angsty I suppose, but hopefully still enjoyable!

“He’s got some nerve coming in here showing off his latest conquest.” Chas said to Charity, glaring at Robert from across the bar. “I wonder if that guy knows he’s just another notch on his bedpost.”

“How do you know it’s not some kind of business… associate? He’s this big shot businessman isn’t he?” Marlon asked, having caught the last part of the conversation when he’d come in to the pub to serve up an order.

“Does that look like a business meeting to you Marlon?” Chas demanded.

“Doesn’t really look like a date either.” Charity said, openly staring at the guy sat at a table with Robert. “Maybe it’s just a friend? He is cute.”

“Robert Sugden having friends? I doubt that. Most people know to stay well away from him. Thankfully Aaron does too now.”

“He reminds me of Aaron a bit.” Charity noted, ignoring Chas’s comments. “The whole dark and broody thing. I guess Robert has a type, eh?”

“He looks nothing like Aaron.”

“He does a bit, doesn’t he Marlon?”

“Er… I suppose… But if they’ve split up, doesn’t that mean he can go out with whoever he likes?” Marlon said, which earned him a glare from Chas.

“We haven’t split up. We’re taking a break. And I’m not going out with anyone.” Robert said and put a 10 pound note on the bar. “Two pints please Chas.”

“I’m not serving you. If you think you can come in here with your latest victim to make Aaron jealous, you’ve got another thing coming. I won’t let you hurt my boy anymore.”

“Aaron isn’t even here, is he Chas?” Robert sighed. “How can I hurt him or make him jealous if he’s in Dublin with Liv?”

“They got back last night actually.” Marlon told him.

“Marlon!” Chas yelled like she was scolding a puppy that had just peed on the rug.

“I uh.. think something’s burning in the kitchen.” Marlon said and all but ran from the bar.

“He’s back?” Robert asked, eyes flicking to the door to the backroom.

“Yes. But you’re staying away from him. He doesn’t want to see you.”

“He can tell me that himself.”

“You’re not going anywhere near my boy.”

“He’s not a little boy anymore Chas. He’s a grown man who can fight his own battles.”

“He’s done enough of that lately, don’t you think? With you.” Chas said, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

“Who’s your friend?” Charity asked, changing the subject and nodding to the guy sat at the table playing with a beer coaster.

Robert looked over his shoulder as if he just remembered the guy existed.

“None of your business.”

“Are you sleeping with him?”

“That’s even less of your business.”

“That’s a yes then.”

“No it’s a mind your own business. Now are you going to serve me or do I have to take my money elsewhere?”

“Go. By all means. Go and never come back.” Chas said but Charity quickly swiped the 10 pound note from the bar.

“What? Money is money and he’s got plenty of it.” She said when Chas glared at her.

“You’re just as bad as he is. Everything is about money!”

“Are you having money troubles with the pub?” Robert asked as Charity put two pints on the bar.

“Why do you want to know? So you can swoop in and throw your money around to impress Aaron?” Chas asked.

“Yeah because that’s worked so well for me in the past.” Robert said, rolling his eyes as he picked up the pints and walked back to the table.

“You took your time.” The guy said when Robert put his pint down in front of him.

“Yeah… that’s Aaron’s mother. She owns this place. Half his family works here actually.” Robert explained.

“Ah. And she’s not your biggest fan?”

“Nope. Never really has been to be honest. She just put up with me for Aaron’s sake I suppose.” Robert said, taking a sip from his beer. “She also thinks you’re my boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend? I’ve done a lot of crazy shit over the years but even I draw the line at sleeping with my brother.”

Robert laughed.

“Yeah same here mate.”

They chatted for a while but Robert kept glancing at the bar and checking his phone.

“I’m sorry am I boring you?”

“What? No, no I’m sorry.” Robert shook his head to clear his mind. “It’s just… Chas just said Aaron is back from Dublin and I really need to talk to him, Sean… but she’ll never let me go through to the back.”

“Want me to distract her?” Sean suggested. “I’ll get another round in and distract her.”

“What? No. That’ll never work. And I’m not sure he’ll want to talk to me in the first place.”

“You won’t know unless you try.” Sean said but the look on Robert’s face said he wasn’t convinced. “Come on big brother, go get your husband back.” He said and patted Robert’s knee before getting up and walking to the bar.

“You want to reconsider the company you’re keeping.” Chas told him.

“Nah I’m good. Two pints please.”

“He doesn’t love you, you know. He’s only using you. He uses everyone.”

“Maybe. But I’m a big boy. I can figure that out for myself, thanks.”

“What’s your name then?” Charity asked, leaning on the bar, smiling sweetly.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Sean replied, mirroring her pose.

Charity raised an eyebrow at him and grinned.

“Ooh playing hard to get, are we? Is that what he sees in you? I’ve been told he likes a chase.”

“Does he now? Can’t say I have any experience in that department. What about you? Do you like a chase?”

“You stay on that side of the bar if you know what’s good for you, Robert Sugden.” Chas snapped at Robert who’d tried to slip around the bar to go find Aaron.

“Chas, please. I just want to talk to him. If he tells me to go, I’ll go.”

She sighed.

“I’ll tell him you were here. If he wants to talk to you, he knows where to find you.”

Sean slung an arm around Robert’s shoulder.

“See? We’re moving in the right direction. Now let’s get you home so you can sulk there and scare the B&B guests away. ”

Robert gave him a small smile and nodded.

“Ok.”

“So four months is all it took for you to move on?” Aaron, who had just walked into the bar, said when he saw Sean’s arm around Robert’s shoulder.

“No mate, you’ve got it all wrong.” Sean said quickly but Aaron ignored him and just stormed out of the pub.

“Aaron wait!” Robert called out after him. “Aaron!”

“Why? So you can introduce me to your new boyfriend?!” Aaron asked when Robert had caught up with him outside the pub.

“He’s not my boyfriend. Sean is my brother. My dad and his mum had a thing before he met my mum. It didn’t last long and he never knew Sean even existed.”

“And I’m supposed to believe that?” Aaron said and started walking away again.

“It’s the truth. I wouldn’t lie to you. Not anymore.” Robert said, following him.

“Why hasn’t Vic said anything then?”

“She doesn’t know. We’re not exactly close at the moment…”

“Why not? She seemed happy enough that you were going to be a dad to the baby.”

“She was. But he’s not mine. He was born about two months ago. We were arguing in the café when she went into labour and I was a mess. I was convinced he wouldn’t make it because it was way too early. He was born around 2AM the next morning… a perfectly healthy baby boy… the spitting image of his dad. His name is Thomas Lawrence.”

“Stop. I don’t want to hear this. I can’t Robert. I’m glad your son is ok but… it’s too hard. I can’t deal with this.”

“Aaron… he wasn’t premature. He’s not mine.” Robert repeated.

“What?”

“I knew the second the nurse put him in my arms but I ignored it at first. I wanted to be a dad to that boy. Be a better dad than mine was... To do something right in my life for once.” Robert said, and let out a sad laugh. “She admitted it when he was about a week old. He has dark hair and looks more like Ross every day.”

“What? Does Ross know?”

Robert nodded.

“Yeah. Yeah… I got drunk and told him myself. In the middle of the pub.”

“Always the dramatic.”

“Can’t help myself, can I?”

“And that guy? In the pub.”

“Sean. My brother. Or… half-brother I suppose.”  Robert said with a shrug. “He sent me an email a few months ago. I emailed him back… eventually. We emailed back and forth for a while and met up and we got on pretty well… and we’re both staying at the B&B now.”

“The B&B? Why not the house?”

“I don’t want to live there without you.”

They walked together in silence for a few minutes.

“I missed you.” Aaron admitted.

“I missed you too… I wanted to text and call but Adam told me to give you space.”

Aaron nodded.

“I know. I had to sort my head out. Figure out what I wanted to do with the baby and the mess we both made of our marriage.” He said, twisting his ring around his finger.

“You’re still wearing your ring.” Robert pointed out.

“Never took it off.” Aaron told him. “I wanted to… but I couldn’t.”

Robert held up his left hand.

“Me too.”

“We’re a right pair of idiots aren’t we?” Aaron said laughingly.

“Yeah.” Robert agreed. “Are… Are you back for good now?”

“Yeah. I want to make this work Robert. If you still want that too.”

“Always have. I just… didn’t always go about it the right way, eh?”

“I mean it Robert. If we’re doing this, we have to be completely honest with each other. No more secrets and lies. No more bottling things up. Actually talking about our issues.”

Robert nodded.

“I promise. Nothing but honesty from now on.” He said and put his hands on Aaron’s hips, happy when the other man let him. “Fresh start.”

“Fresh start.” Aaron agreed and pressed a kiss to Robert’s lips.


End file.
